Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

Dermalogica Ultra Calming

I hate to sit still and have trouble relaxing so getting spa treatments borders on stressful for me. I recently had a quick facial to use up a gift certificate I've been holding onto since last Christmas and the technician used Dermalogica products. Being of English descent and fair skinned, I have a tendency to flush, blush, and have rosacea. She recommended the Ultra Calming line (to 'cool, soothe, and restore') and gave me some samples to take home.

While the treatment left my skin feeling great it wasn't until I used the products myself that I really thought about switching over to the brand. Specifically, the Barrier Repair moisturizer is unlike anything I've ever used before. It contains no water and is sort of a gel. When you smooth it on your skin it feels like almost a powder finish, not sticky or jelly-like at all. I love it! The little samples were one-time use (which I stretched to a couple days) so I didn't really have enough time to evaluate them fully.

So I went back to the spa to buy some Dermalogica. I've used Clinique for my whole life since teenhood but I thought I'd give this brand a fair chance to reduce my redness. There is a trial kit of the line containing the cleanser, mist, serum and moisturizer in travel sizes. I was a little shocked at the price but the full size of the Barrier Repair alone (which is a tiny tube!) was over $60. I decided to try the kit and see how I fared. It is also $60 (for such a small amount!!!) but I figured it was the price of one 1/2 hour facial and would last me a month at least...AND I wouldn't have to lie down and not talk for 30 minutes! haha!

It's been just over a week and even though I'm skeptical (especially about the 'mist'), I think I might just be a little less rosy! My cheeks seem to actually be a bit calmer and the rosacea is settling down. I will use up the kit and report again on the results. If there are any Demalogica fans out there feel free to comment on your experiences with the brand. Thanks!

Quilt Love

I like a nice 'n tidy house but as I walked downstairs this morning I couldn't help but feel proud of the 'mess'. These photos show exactly what I found...quilts everywhere! Not nicely folded or hanging on the quilt rack, but heaped in a cozy, nested lump where the user left them. Obviously they have been cuddled and snuggled under while my loved ones were either watching tv, reading, or working on a laptop.

I love that my quilts are functional but I also know, eventually, they will be cherished because I made them especially for the recipient. My days have been so full and I am well aware that I haven't sewn since early summer. I think the fall should be less busy with more time to spend on crafting. I am really close to clearing off my table and starting a new project. I think it has to be the Color Crystals quilt from the Midnight Quilt Show. I bought the fabric in April and have yet to even open the package. It's a king size quilt so it will take me all winter (and beyond) to get that top sewn. I'm getting excited just writing this and thinking about getting back to making the quilts I love for the people I love!

Heck, even the dog has several of his own quilts on his various pillows and he loves them too! Seriously, he doesn't get 'into' his bed at night until I straighten out his cat quilt. After he lies down we then have to tuck him in under another baby quilt! It's pretty cute (sad, but cute).

Easiest One-Pot Pasta and Broccoli

If I haven't convinced you to take a look at the Skinnytaste Fast and Slow cookbook, this recipe might convince you. It doesn't look or sound like a fancy pasta dish and there are only 5 basic ingredients, but Gina Homolka's Easiest One-Pot Pasta and Broccoli is so surprisingly yummy!

It is also a one-pot, simple and fast meal to make so that gives it extra credit in my kitchen on a weeknight. Basically you add broccoli florets to the pasta shells while they boil, thus cooking both at the same time. While they drain after cooking (make sure to reserve some of the cooking liquid), fresh chopped garlic cloves are sautéed in olive oil until soft and fragrant - only for a minute or two. Add back the pasta and broccoli, a bit more olive oil, some excellent quality grated Parmesan or Romano, salt and pepper and stir. The idea is to break up the broccoli (which is now very soft) so that it becomes part of the sauce. That reserved cooking water can be added back (a half cup to a cup), to loosen the sauce and make the whole pot a tasty, garlicky, fabulous pasta.

My whole family really loved this recipe and I will certainly be whipping it up again on a busy night. It is so easy to make and deceptively delicious. Ms. Homolka notes that the leftovers are great reheated but once again, we didn't have any! Maybe I'll make a double batch next time! I know this book is going to become one of those dog-eared, stained, well-loved cookbooks on my shelf and I'm having a great time working my way through all the recipes I want to try. Weather like today (cold, rainy, dark) makes me just want to hunker down and play in my kitchen. I've got this year's fruitcake in the oven, jar salads in the fridge, and some butternut squash simmering for lunch (post to follow!).

Bladez Indoor Spin Cycle 600IC

As sad as it is, there is frost on the roof this morning and I know that cold weather is upon us. We have been so lucky with the gorgeous fall temperatures and I've been able to ride outside for longer than I anticipated. I'm not quite ready to hang the bike up yet but in anticipation of a long and cold winter, we set up an indoor spin cycle.

We chose a Bladez by BH and it's been amazing. It is very close to a road bike in geometry and is adjustable for a proper fit (seat height, bar height, seat tilt, and forward and back settings for the saddle and handle bars). I use the GCN indoor trainer workouts on YouTube and nothing makes me sweat more or work harder. I feel like a million bucks and I know the fat burning continues for a couple hours afterwards. My metabolism is roaring! I would love to have a Zwift set-up (a virtual reality bike trainer) but for now, this 600IC spin bike will do nicely.

Like anything else I tackle, I prefer to set up my environment to make things easy. I believe the success of my current healthy lifestyle is keeping things to a routine so there is no chance to fail. I'm fortunate that I am able to have free time to work out and cook healthy meals so I can imagine that an easy-to-follow schedule for any busy person is even more important! I like to stick to my timing and get in my training without even thinking about it. I've got a good system for myself and having it be simple and consistent allows me to plan my day.

We have a little gym set-up in the basement that's basic but functional, and really comfortable to use. There's a simple treadmill, the new bike, and a weight station. When we bought the bike we got a gym mat thrown in and it's been great to use (rather than our yoga mat). I added a small shelf above the spin cycle to stack fresh towels and water; small touches like that keep a workout area pleasant and convenient for the whole family. I love that our example rubs off on the kids and they absorb that knowledge of the importance of good health.

I'm really going to miss outdoor rides over the winter but having a good twice-weekly spin class at home will hopefully keep me conditioned and motivated to continue on next year. Maybe we'll even try to travel somewhere warmer to get in a bike tour!?! When I watch the gorgeous videos on GCN where the guys ride in Italy, Spain, or France I am so envious of their opportunities to experience the best cycling in the world!

So whatever you're doing, try to make your surroundings comfortable and plan for success. It doesn't take a lot of money or time, just some forethought and planning. Have a great day!

Slow Cooker Apple Pie à la Mode

Here is another great dessert idea from SkinnyTaste Fast and Slow (by Gina Homolka). This is so easy and compared to a proper apple pie, a pretty healthy way to enjoy the taste (and aroma!) of a fall favourite.

The recipe for Slow Cooker Apple 'pie' is simply a combination of 1/4" thick sliced apples, brown sugar (I don't like too much), a tablespoon of cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and if you choose, some kind of topping. I ate mine plain right out of the crockpot but ice cream or frozen yogurt (or regular yogurt for that matter) tastes amazing too, according to the fam.

If you have any leftovers (sadly, we didn't!) I believe Ms. Gina when she says the apple filling is also awesome over waffles, pancakes, or on oatmeal for a delicious breaky. I can't wait to make it again and it's really not that much of a wait as the 'high' setting cooks the apples to a tender, bubbly concoction in a couple hours.

Baked Oatmeal

I love porridge for breakfast, I love oatmeal cookies, and I love granola bars. When I saw a recipe for Baked Oatmeal I had to give it a try since it's pretty much a combination of all those oat-y foods I enjoy. I found a couple similar recipes and picked THIS ONE from Allrecipes. Really, it was just a starting point for me since I ended up tweaking it to make the baked oatmeal more to my liking. It was useful to use the recipe for quantities and baking instructions but intuitively, and after reading several reviews, I knew there was way too much sugar and fat in the original (for me). Once you are comfortable baking and cooking it's easy to make adjustments to a dish in order to customize it.

I used about 4 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of butter for the entire batch of oatmeal. I added a variety of fruit, including raisins, apricots, and a diced fresh apple. The oatmeal smelled so lovely while it baked and once it had cooled, I cut it into 12 portions. My first taste was right out of the pan but I did actually have a square the next morning, heated and served with milk. The baked oatmeal definitely works either way, cold or hot, portable as a quick on-the-go energy snack or in a bowl with milk as a cereal.

My version was not very sweet at all, and I am okay with that. You might want to add more (in the recipe or on top after baking if eating it as a cereal) if you like it sweeter or follow the Allrecipes instructions exactly the first time to see how it works for you. I wrapped up the squares and froze some for a later time to grab and go. I've never tried the store-bought Nature Valley soft-baked Oatmeal Squares but I assume this baked oatmeal is very similar, but with the ingredients controlled by you. I will be making these again for sure!

Spiralized Lemon-Basil Zucchini Mason Jar Salads

How gorgeous do these salads look? I had to try this recipe for Spiralized Lemon-Basil Zucchini Mason Jar Salads (from the Skinny Taste Fast and Slow cookbook) because it seemed like a fun and easy way to make a portioned lunch with amazing ingredients. I always try to eat beans or legumes (like chickpeas) every day and because they form the base of this salad in a jar, it was a perfect fit. I love arugula at the moment too, which forms another layer, along with red onion, grape tomatoes, and zucchini.

It was fun to use my spiralizer again; to be honest it has been a while. It works so well and took no time at all to spiral up the zukes. By layering the vegetables in the jar from 'sturdiest' to most delicate (i.e. chickpeas at the bottom and zucchini at the top), the salad can stay in the fridge for about 5 days without going soggy. The lemon dressing is added first in the bottom of the mason jar and then when it's time to serve, just shake up the jar and pour it all out into a bowl.

I adored this salad and one entire jar (a serving) was so filling I could barely finish it for lunch. For the second jar I divided it into 3 and shared with DD and DH. One extra thing I did was cut the zucchini spirals with some kitchen scissors before packing up the salad for the fam. I knew that those extra long noodles would certainly splatter dressing on their work clothes!

I have been totally re-inspired by visiting the pages of Gina Homolka's cookbook and have already made several more recipes. I have a bunch of pages earmarked and am eager for the next dish. I'll post the results soon...

Enjoy your day!

Apple Coffeecake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb

My nephew's darling girlfriend (who happens to be an amazing baker!) made this Apple Coffeecake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crumb for us a couple of holidays ago and my hubby has been dreaming about it ever since. We visited with the family this Thanksgiving and while she didn't bring along the coffeecake, she did present some gorgeous pumpkin cheesecake squares and blueberry loaf (equally drool inducing). I was reminded of the apple cake and asked (again) for the recipe.

As soon as we got back home I had to make the cake. I used the recipe shared from Serena Bakes but cut it in half and used a loaf pan. I know myself too well and having a 9x13 tin of this scrumptious dessert would be way too hard to resist!

The loaf turned out perfectly, with big chunks of tender apple and the most incredible, buttery-sugary crumb topping. I seriously could not stay away from it. I had a bit of trouble slicing the loaf but that was due to a). the big pieces of apple getting in the way of the knife, and b). not waiting until the loaf was cool to cut it. It smells so fantastic while it bakes so being patient enough for it to cool completely was a problem.

This is definitely a special (read: high sugar/high calorie) treat for once in a while but my DH has been working so hard lately that I knew he needed a much-loved cake to come home to. Give this easy recipe a try. Whether in a loaf pan or the full monty 9x13 cake, the apple, cinnamon, and crumb are the perfect combination.

Cloud Bread

Have you ever heard of Cloud Bread? I hadn't but learned about it from the Weight Watcher app. It's an egg white, low carb, bread substitute and it sounded so interesting I knew I had to bake it. I got the basic recipe from All Recipes and mine turned out exactly as it should. Stiff egg whites are folded into yolks combined with sugar and a bit of cream cheese. You get 6 rounds from the recipe and it's very quick and easy to make.

I tried a 'slice' plain and it was definitely unique. It is soft, fluffy, but does have texture and a bit of structure. I was expecting a cross between a meringue, a Yorkshire pudding, and a chiffon cake and I would say it is most like the cake. I also put some jam on a bite and that was good too!

I'm not sure if you could make a hearty sandwich on this kind of bread but as a side with soup, spread with your favourite toast topping, or a light sandwich filling, it could totally work. It tastes rather neutral so savoury or sweet, either way this simple Cloud Bread is a low carb alternative to yeast bread.